"STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1928. SINS AND SINNERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 18, 16 August 1928, Page 4

"STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1928. SINS AND SINNERS.

IT was only to be expected! that the Salvation Army's decision to hold a procession in order to draw attention to the sins of Auckland would arouse a good deal of comment in the press of the Dominion. The expectation has been realised', for the matter has, and is, being comments upon, meetly unfavourably by several newspapers. Some regard it as au advertising "stunt", iother,s as a piece of impertinence, and others again as something deliriously humorous. However, the Army can be given credit for having, the best or intentions and though the method may be open to question the motive is not It is reasonable to suppose that Auckland is neither more nor. less sinful than the other citiesi m the Domihioai while many of th© smaller towns can hold their own, with it in the quality of their sins, if not in the quantity. Auckland in all likelihood is no better and no worse than any other place, but the Army's decision seems to imply that it is seething with "damning" iniquities. But, though it may have mimy sins Auckland people, in common with" those of the rest of New. Zealand can "boast of having many virtues, not the least of which is charity, by which the Army as well as' other philanthropic organisations have dprived not a little benefit. The whole of the country may have many shortcomings but we question very much whether., spectacular of estimable ladies clothed in flowing mourning robes and accompanied oni then- pilgrimage by a; -hand is the best method of overcoming them. lis it not likely to excite ridicule? iNothing is further from our minds than to ; belittle the work of the Salvation Army, which as all know, is> an organisation which renders invalunble social service and which fills a very necessary place in the lives or the community but we doubt if its method in this case is likely to be effective. It may make some people think, but those people will not be the sinners many cd : whom will no) doubt be too busy indulging in their particular sins"to come intoi town to isee the process.ion. It must be remembered that tliere are wide differences between human beings. Some can be appealed to by the gentle pursausion of a social reformer; some cauj ,be terrorised into a sense of four of the Hereafter by a vigorous preacher; others again strongly resent any interference at all. Lasting inn provetnenti can only come, from within the indiv.jduai, and is unlikely to be -achieved by any spectacular efforts from without.. "However..:the;: "day 'of imourning" may hive the effect of; making the jmore sober minded parents, pay a little additional (attention ito [thel doings <ff tlfah* children' and exercising bettor coin trol over them which i s very sadly lacking in the majority of case s today. Ifjit does that the effort will not be a vain one.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Another instance of other towns' envy of Stratford has come to light. (New Plymouth grudges us our football team, and with other towns thinks our post office i s too good for us. Now Wangamii wants our Public Works Office sent down (there. The only things apparently no one wants to take from us are our railway crossings. ** * * It is interesting to note that Stratford is to be included by the J. C. Williamson people in the itinerary of jMi> Leon Gordon and his company playing 'the Trial of Mary Dugan. Stratford always accords good patr ronage to a worthwhile show, and the hig firms would surely find it a payable proposition to include this town in the tours of their Jra.iiatic companies. * * * The proposal for the amalgamation of 'the three Taranaki At t llmatisation Societies has ad»any*a another stage. At Tuesday night's meeting of the i cal ?itfety (repcrted in yesterday's Post), it was sta'ted that delegates »»a'i Lecn appointed by each of the bodies in question to meet au.l thrash the matter out." This should get the pioposal somewhere, especially if J?t-tty parochialism does not find its wav in. * * * The gen'tleman going round removing people's gramophone records is not wanting in daring from all accounts. In one case it is tftfoi that he Phtjed a number of records and took the best of them with him. He seems to be as courageous as the man in Rotorua a couple of years ago who got into- a house and stole a pair of trousers. The ownner put a sarcastic advertisement in the paper the next day inviting the thief to' come back and get a pair of braces. The following night .theinvitation was accepted.